Physiological and molecular response of Brassica rapa to moderate and extreme heat

Tokić, Mirta; Tkalec, Mirta; Vitko, Sandra; Salopek-Sondi, Branka; Ludwig-Müller, Jutta; Bauer, Nataša (2025) Physiological and molecular response of Brassica rapa to moderate and extreme heat. Acta botanica Croatica, 84 (2). pp. 266-275. ISSN 0365-0588

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Abstract

One of the key factors affecting plant survival and agricultural yield production is temperature. The magnitude of temperature extremes is increasing as a result of global climate change. The present study evaluated the impact of elevated temperature treatments on Brassica rapa seed germination, as well as of prolonged exposure of seedlings to temperatures of 37 °C and short-term exposure to the temperature of 45 °C. Elevated temperatures reduced seed germination rate and affected germination pattern. Both applied heat stresses negatively affected seedling development and root growth, and showed a differential physiological and molecular response. Under prolonged exposure to 37 °C seedling growth and development patterns were impaired but with no sign of oxidative stress, which could be related to increased indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), abscisic acid, enhanced heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) and reduced 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate levels. The short-term exposure to a temperature of 45 °C, a treatment mimicking a heat wave event, had more negative effects on seedling growth, which correlated with the appearance of oxidative stress. The extreme temperature significantly stimulated the gene expression of heat stress transcription factors HSFs and dehydration-responsive element-binding protein DREB2A, and induced the accumulation of auxin IAA and HSP90 proteins. Our study confirms the great importance of phytohormones and HSP90 in the heat stress response of B. rapa and emphasizes the potential for their manipulation in phytoprotection and breeding programs for adaptation to climate change.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	cabbage; germination; heat; phytohormones; root growth; seedling growth; stress markers
Subjects:	NATURAL SCIENCES > Biology
Divisions:	Division of Molecular Biology
Projects:	Project title Project leader Project code Project type MATH-BTB proteini kao regulatori transkripcije i RNA posredovane metilacije DNA u biljnom razvitku-PHYTOMETHDEV Dunja Leljak-Levanić IP-2016-06-6229 HRZZ Fitohormoni u abiotskom stresu kupusnjača: mehanizam tolerancije i primjena-PhytoBraCro Branka Salopek-Sondi IP-2014-09-4359 HRZZ Agrobioraznolikost - osnova za prilagodbu i ublažavanje posljedica klimatskih promjena u poljoprivredi- Smiljana Goreta Ban KK.05.1.1.02.0005 EK
Depositing User:	Ana Zečević
Date Deposited:	16 Apr 2026 14:58
URI:	http://fulir.irb.hr/id/eprint/11745
DOI:	10.37427/botcro-2025-028

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